New figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that new zero emission bus (ZEB) registrations rose by 48% in the third quarter of this year.
In the sixth consecutive quarter in which the numbers of both conventional buses and zebs increased, ZEBs accounted for 20.9% of all new bus, coach and minibus registrations. SMMT attributes this success to manufacturer investment in “cutting-edge” technology, with operators now able to choose from 15 electric and hydrogen models.
However, as the association notes, operators do face the cost of new ZEBs and the supporting infrastructure upfront. Schemes like the Zero Emission Bus Regional Area (ZEBRA) and Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge funding have, SMMT says, “underpinned” bus decarbonisation so far.
Even those options, though, come with challenges that often mean larger, urban operators are best placed to succeed; smaller operators in rural areas tend to have tighter margins, lower ridership and longer routes and risk being left behind by the energy transition.
SMMT’s latest position paper ‘Next Stop, Net Zero: The Route To A Decarbonised UK Bus Market’ notes that the sector would benefit from a long-term timetable to reach net zero—one that includes suitably ambitious, accessible support for UK operators of every size to make the switch.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “A year and a half of growth in the number of new buses, coaches and minibuses joining UK roads is good news for a sector still recovering from the pandemic.
“The latest zero emission bus technologies provide many benefits, from innovative safety and passenger features to better local air quality and carbon savings, so the next step is long-term support – particularly for smaller and rural operators – to deliver such benefits to communities across all parts of the country.”
Electric HGV registrations down after ‘bumper year’
The SMMT also released figures showing that, after 2023 saw significant uptake, the overall heavy goods vehicle (HGV) market declined. The UK is Europe’s second-largest zero emission truck market by volume, but uptake was down 47.5% in Q3 this year, achieving a market share of 0.5%, which is down from 0.8% in Q3 2023. This is in spite of the fact that zero emission truck uptake rose by 30% in Q2 2024.
Operators continue to face significant barriers that can prevent them from having the confidence to invest in eHGVs at a larger scale. Dedicated eHGV public chargepoint provision remains severely limited, and the grant system for businesses making the switch involves a lengthy application process and covers less than half of all available models.
SMMT suggests that a national infrastructure plan and reform to the Plug-in Truck Grant would help boost operator confidence and stimulate greater uptake.
Hawes said that the overall HGV uptake drop is “not a cause for serious concern” given that it comes after a huge surge in demand during 2023. He continued: “Falling zero emission truck uptake, however, is another matter, showing the market is struggling to keep up with ambition.”
As Current± has previously explored, there is potential that the infrastructure supporting ZEBs and processes that operators have used to make the switch could stand to benefit the HGV sector.
